Jessica Simpson made an appearance on Katie Couric‘s new talk show Katie this week to debut her post-baby body by Weight Watchers. In the course of her interview, she also shared cute personal photos of her baby daughter Maxwell Drew. One photo in particular, of Maxwell wearing a crocheted bikini, is causing a bit of controversy as some consider the photo to be “inappropriate”. Click below to take a look at the photo in full and see what you think about the alleged inappropriateness of Jessica Simpson‘s bikini-clad infant daughter.
As a singer and actress, she has often posed in skimpy swimwear to boost her celebrity profile. When Jessica Simpson dressed her own four-month-old daughter in a bikini, however, it provoked a furious public backlash. After the 32-year-old American showed a picture of the little girl on US television, critics described it as ‘wrong’ and ‘just awful’. Miss Simpson has also been criticised by British child welfare charity Kidscape for sexualising her baby with the ‘totally inappropriate’ outfit. She displayed the picture of daughter Maxwell during an interview with US TV host Katy Couric on her ABC show. The baby, in a yellow bikini stretched over her nappy, was held up for the photo by an adult, who is not in shot. The image soon spread around the internet, attracting criticism of Miss Simpson, who lives in Los Angeles with her fiance, Eric Johnson, 32. Claude Knights, the director of Kidscape, said yesterday: ‘It is very disturbing to see a young baby presented to the world wearing a bikini. Celebrity choices carry great influence, as can be seen by the manner in which their accessories and behaviours are copied widely. It is to be hoped that parents will understand that “baby bikinis” are totally inappropriate, and that they contribute to the sexualisation and commercialisation of childhood. We should not be compromising the sanctity of our children’s early years.’ Others condemned the bikini on Twitter after seeing it online. One wrote: ‘Jessica Simpson posts a photo of her 4-month-old baby in a BIKINI – wrong wrong wrong.’
Another added: ‘A baby in a bikini?! Dear God, some people are just wrong!’ A third wrote: ‘I just saw the most ridiculously posed photo of Jessica Simpson’s baby in a bikini. Just awful. Poor poppet.’
HMMM. I’m not quite sure what to make of this. Maybe I’m being naive but I don’t see a sexualized child in this photo. Babies wear bathing suits when they go in the pool, sometimes they wear only bottoms (both girls and boys) and sometimes they go completely naked. Perhaps the problem here is that Jessica chose to share this photo with the the world on national television but, again, I don’t personally see the harm. Am I wrong here? Is this photo inappropriate? If Maxwell had been shown topless, would that have been better? Worse? What do you think?
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Honestly people need to calm the eff down. Whoever sees this as a sexualisation may have their own problems to deal with. Yeech!
When we were in Europe all the men/boys wore speedos and the young girls (maybe 12 and younger) wore no tops at all at all the beaches we went to. I think the US just needs to get over itself. It is a cute bathingsuit probably made by a friend and the parents wanted to honor that.
Couldn’t agree more!
Not that I don’t agree, but didn’t it say she’s being criticised by a BRITISH welfare charity?
Seriously? People just want to make a fuss out of anything. There is nothing inappropriate about this picture. If people are going to view it in a way it wasn’t meant to be viewed, they will do that no matter what the child is wearing/how the child is posed for the photo. Sick people will be sick people.
That said- That baby is adorable.
The general western views on sexuality are so warped. It would have been a “no story” if the baby had just been in her diaper. To me, either is acceptable. If I ever have kids, I would never force my daughter to wear a top and not my son. It just teachers her that she has to cover up her body because she is a girl and that’s not fair.
I’m with ya, Trent. People do this with baby girls all the time. I think it’s adorable! It must only be because it’s Jessica Simpson doing it.
she’s adorable!
this picture is no different then seeing a baby in a pampers commercial in nothing but a diaper.
It’s so weird !!! Erk… Babies should wear diapers and pajamas… not bikinis. Bad taste. She’ll have enough time to wear this kind of clothe when she’s a grown up.
Says who?My son sometimes wore hand me down baby girl clothes as an infant,my daughter wore black,navy blue and stuff with trucks-neither could have given a f***,but they were warm and comfy….it was adults who gave me crap.
Hum… what you say is completely unrelated to my comment… Because i agree with you on this point, i don’t believe in “girl” or “boy” clothe.
I guess I could have been a bit clearer.To the baby it doesn’t matter one bit what she has on-as long as she is comfy.It’s us adults that make an issue out of the outfit.I’m from Europe-as kids we wore bikinis,or just bikini bottoms.Never had a problem because of it.And I was a chubby kid to boot.
I honestly think her being topless or naked would be more childlike and appropriate. Sometimes it’s the clothing that makes the pic look sexual, and I think bikinis on children is just plain wrong anyway. I know lots of people do not, but I do. For example, if a woman walks around her house naked, she’s just a person without clothes. Now if she puts on pasties and a g-string, she is less naked, true, but more sexual. I could appreciate if this were done in irony or humor, but JS honestly doesn’t seem to be an ironic person and I think she probably is trying to be stylish. Fail. But the hair, on the other hand, is adorbs!
I completely agree! there is something inherently innocent about a naked baby or child. Bikinis are supposed to be sexy. I would never allow my daughter to wear a bikini but she could run around naked.
You are SO right !
She’s not wearing pasties and a g-string though, she’s wearing a bikini. Bikinis aren’t sexual but some people do sexualize them. People also sexualize plain white panties so
JS is not sexualizing that child everyone else who has a problem with it and also the pervs who get turned on by babies are sexualizing her.
People need to seriously calm the eff down. In Spain, women go to the beach with their sons and sunbathe topless. Do you honestly think those mothers and the other topless women on that beach are trying to titillate the young boys running around? No, they’re just trying to get an even tan and honestly it’s freeing.
The worst you can say about it is that it’s a little frivolous.
I personally think that if people are thinking sexual thoughts from a cute chubby baby in a cute little baby bikini, they are sick. Babies should not be thought of sexually in any aspect whether they are naked, have only a diaper on, a bikini or any other piece of clothing for that matter. People just want something to complain about. It’s what’s wrong with our society, we are all to judgmental. No one seems to care when babies are in towels for a pottery barn kids ad or showing thier butt from a copper tone sunscreen bottle but when a celebrity shows a cute picture of her adorable baby, she gets back lashed. People need to find other things to do then care about pictures.
THIS is sexualized? Am I blind or naive to see absolutely nothing inappropriate about this picture? =/ I’m at a loss for words, even.
The most inappropriate thing about the bikini is the type of stitch that was used. Honestly, it would have looked so much better in seed stitch or even stockinette.
@Serenity — LOL!
I don’t think she sexualized the baby and think people are making a big deal over nothing. But, personal preference is no babies (or young children) in bikinis. There is more innocence to wearing nothing on top so I think it is better, whereas there is something adult about a bikini, or the concept of why people wear bikinis.
Hannah, I agree with you. I recently took my two boys to Sesame Place (kiddie amusement/water park) and saw lots of adorable baby girls in bikinis. Personally, I’m not a fan. But I would never ever tell a mother that such a choice works to sexualize their child.
That said (and in spite of me being sort of anti bikinis on little girls or babies) the picture above is so effing adorable, I can’t believe people were able to see past that and read hella negativity into it! Look at those eyes! The hair! Lol, that’s what we should be focused on, I think.
I hope that everybody who is complaining about the bikini is equally outraged by children’s beauty pageants.
Serenity, yes! Bottom line, of all the egregious things that happen to kids every day, this should be the least of all our concerns.
THANK YOU! I wonder how many of the people who are crying for CPS the take the kid away sit down to watch Toddlers, Tiaras, and whatever that stupid show is called.
Hell yes !!! I’ve seen some T&T images and I was like… “OMG these parents should go to jail”.
Seriously?
My niece wore a bikini as a baby and although I probably wouldn’t choose to put a bikini on a baby myself , I don’t see anything wrong with it.
Really? So ridiculous….
When I saw the first smaller photo, I was like…whatever. Then I saw the larger photo. The bikini is fine. However, the pose the baby is a little weird. I think that’s what makes it all a little off. If Maxwell was being carried or sitting in another position, I dón’t think that anyone would probably care.
@Deb Hodgon — The pose? The baby is being held up because she can’t sit up on her own yet. Do you think the pose is meant to be seductive? I dunno, I think everyone is seeing what they want to see … NOT that you’re trying to see a seductive baby. It’s all so silly, I think.
There is nothing wrong with the pose. My best friends little baby like to roll to his side like that and we call it his GQ pose.
I think it’s sad that at a time when she should be enjoying being a first time mom she’s getting so much crap over an innocent picture. I guess that’s the price of celebrity though.
this is not innapropriate at all ..its just a sweet little baby girl..if people say that this is sexualized then they should seriously try going for some therapy cuz thats every but sexual.
I’m disgusted by the prudishness some people display by suggesting Jessica’s baby is sexualized in a yellow bikini. So the baby in a diaper and naked from the waist up would be any less so? An infant is inherently unsexualized to normal adults — dressing up a baby in a studded leather biker jacket doesn’t make him suddenly badass James Dean; putting a baby in a yellow bikini, while perhaps a bit disconcerting, doesn’t make that child into a sex object. Mind you, I’m not comfortable with five year olds in stripper wear like so many of these horrific reality TV shows feature but it’s entirely different in this case.
Clearly this is not intended to be nasty. Anyone who looks at this expecting to be aroused is sick in the head.
Stupid? Yes
Sexy? No
People? Come on!
Oh my goodness that baby girl is so adorable! But I’m not surprised, Jessica Simpson might not be the sharpest tool in the shed but she is quite beautiful.
Anyway, on the subject of the post: I agree with everyone who says the people thinking this baby is sexualized have issues. I see a super cute baby and a mom who’s dressing her in adorable clothes because, while I wouldn’t necessarily buy a bikini for my baby girl, I have looked at them in stores and Ooo’d and Ahh’d over the melt your heart cuteness of the iddy biddy swimwear.
Adorable photo of sweet Maxwell in a darling bikini!
It appears there are some people with severe issues if they think this baby has been sexualized in any way.
I see a cute baby that I would just love to squeeze! If you see anything else, you have the issues. I think it’s cute and people need to stop finding things to complain about. We have much bigger problems in the world than what Jessica puts on her adorable daughter. Get over it people.
That is so darn adorable! And what fun is it if you don’t get a few embarrassing shots of your baby for the future? Like putting your boy in a dress. haha. People take things too seriously. I don’t see any harm in it.
People need to chill. It’s obviously a handmade gift, and it’s sweet. Nothing wrong with this at all.
Seriously? She’s a BABY. Considering most kids circa 1990 had photos taken of them naked in a wash tub, I think a bikini is alright. Chill the f out people.
Seriously, anyone who looks at this picture and considers it “sexual” is sick. It’s an adorable chubby little baby girl. Period!
I agree with pretty much everyone on here. No big deal! Why are they saying that a bikini is sexualized and babies shouldn’t wear them? Bikinis, at least for me, are more comfortable than a full body swimsuit. I hate the feeling of the wet fabric on my stomach. Sure, some people wear skimpier bikinis than necessary but that’s them. The bikini itself is not necessarily sexual, now the people who see a baby in a cute little yellow bikini as sexualized, that’s another thing. And yes, here in Europe, every time I go to the beach or pool, babies and toddlers are often running around naked… nothing wrong. Even girls 10 or 11 walk around topless if they haven’t gone through the change yet. :)
I was amazed at how hard it was to find a one piece swimsuit without Dora or Cinderella on it for my 7 month old daughter this summer. It was a personal decision to not want my girl in a bikini but I am not judging those who do it.
I am disappointed that commenters cannot see how clearly Jessica seems to be objectifying this baby in the same way that she herself was objectified. What is being corecasted here is a baby whose future will be defined by her beauty and her body. It’s not prudish for women to want to not be limited to simply being sexual objects.
Whoever thinks this is sexualizing the baby in any way should probably get their head evaluated. Obviously your mind is in the gutter if that’s the first thing you thought of when you saw this picture. People should focus their energy on something important, rather being “outraged” about a baby in a swimsuit. If it wasn’t Jessica’s kid no one would even care.